Networking

Networking is hard-wired into the fabric of AFSIC. We are extremely proud of and grateful for the fabulous range of speakers, presenters, moderators and chairs that we attract each year. However, in addition to the mainstream agenda the real heart of AFSIC centres on the meetings that are held within the confines of the event. With 1000+ delegates expected to attend in 2019, delegates have the opportunity to arrange multiple high quality, investment focused meetings within a concentrated period of time as well as benefit from the many free flowing networking events built into the agenda.

AFSIC’s core objective is to increase investment into Africa. By bringing together Africa’s most important business leaders, many of the world’s leading investment firms and dealmakers looking to intermediate transactions within a highly focused investment environment real investment decisions are made. With 54 countries in Africa and a geographical size equivalent to North America, Western Europe, India, China and Japan, combined maintaining a pan African network is hugely expensive and time consuming. We recognise that it makes enormous sense to bring together the key participants in Africa’s economy into one place at one time, and within a forum focused on investment. The net result has been a substantial increase in the number and range of investments made into and across Africa.

A Highly Focused Agenda

The AFSIC agenda focuses attention on the three key constituents within Africa’s investment universe. African businesses open for investment, Investors looking for investment opportunities and Dealmakers wishing to intermediate the investment process. On our agenda you will see African business leaders promoting their companies with a view to building or maintaining existing and new investor relationships to address current or future investment requirements. You will also see a very large range of investors who explain their investment process, with a particular focus on explaining what type of investment they are looking for, including asset class focus, any geographic restrictions and quantum. Finally you will find a range of the most important African dealmakers – those who are fundamentally wired into Africa’s investment universe and whose opinions will inform listeners as to where Africa focused investment flows and appetite are at any time.

Meet African Dealmaker’s Event

The Meet African Dealmaker’s Event takes place from 19:30 to 22:30 on the evening of Wednesday 8th May 2019 in the historic County Hall, Westminster, with an enviable location next to the London Eye and with breathtaking views over the British Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. The Meet African Dealmaker’s Event is specifically designed for Dealmakers such as investment bankers, corporate finance advisors, M&A teams, African and International stockbrokers, investors and African business leaders to network with each other. The quality of attendance is very high and perhaps unparalleled, offering deal makers the opportunity to develop their network efficiently, removing the requirement for a considerable amount of travel on the continent. Please note that due to restricted numbers at the venue, this is a ticket only event and tickets must be purchased via the registration page.

Country Sessions

We introduced Country Sessions in our 2018 event, and 2019 will build upon this successful launch. These one hour sessions focus either on uncovering investment opportunities within single African countries or specific regions. The format will vary with some sessions having a brief presentation at the start, and others being less formal with no speeches or presentations and with free flowing networking only. The structure of the sessions is designed to bring high quality investment opportunities in the country or region to the attention of investors, and to allow AFSIC delegates to clearly focus on specific countries or regions within Africa, as their mandates permit. In the main it should be noted that we want the style of these sessions to be informal, steering clear of long presentations and formal speeches to provide the maximum time possible for participants to network with each other and to uncover new investment opportunities.

Networking Events

Within AFSIC we have developed a number of high impact, dynamic networking events. These networking events are structured to maximise delegates opportunities to meet with Africa’s leading investors, dealmakers, business leaders and service providers in highly focused, investment and business orientated sessions. The are free flowing, generally with no presentations or speeches allowing you the maximise your time developing a very high network within Africa. Within AFSIC 2019 we have specific sessions allowing you to meet Africa’s leading venture capital funds, accelerators, business incubators, and development finance agencies, as well as Africa’s supranational investment firms, such as the IFC, EIB and World Bank.

Event and Meeting App

Crucial to the success of AFSIC has been the development of a highly intuitive App allowing all participants at AFSIC to contact each other and book meetings at specific locations up to a month prior to AFSIC. The integrated meeting system makes booking of multiple meetings very easy allowing you to choose the location and duration of each meeting, thus maximising your chances of having a string of really high quality interactions during AFSIC. We highly recommend that participants use this app to the maximum prior to arrival at AFSIC. This allows the groundwork to be laid down prior to face to face meetings at the venue. The Event and Meeting App will be launched one month before the event.

Meeting Spaces

AFSIC has grown rapidly in recent years and it is now more important to secure a meeting space in which to hold meetings during AFSIC. As a result we recommend that participants book their own meeting space for the duration of AFSIC. Meeting spaces can be booked for the whole of AFSIC via the registration page. This results in a more professional feel at the venue, and allows the location of any meetings held at AFSIC to be predetermined up to a month ahead of AFSIC, without any worries about finding a seating location at the venue which will be extremely busy.

Cocktail Parties / Boat Trips

During AFSIC sponsors and other parties arrange a wide variety of networking evenings including cocktail parties at leading London venues, and networking cruises on the Thames. The range and location of these is generally communicated to participants as AFSIC approaches.

Press & Video Stream

Many of Africa’s leading journalists attend AFSIC along with video and TV crews offering delegates the opportunity to spread their focused communication message to a broader audience.